Fact-Check: False Claim – Pope Francis Converted to Buddhism

The video shared of Pope Francis embracing Buddhism was recorded during a religious service in 2024.
by Anonymous |
March 7, 2025

Recently, various reports about the health of Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and Vatican City, have been shared internationally.
In this context, FactSeeker has observed a video circulating on social media titled ‘The Pope Finally Seeks Refuge in Buddha.’ The video allegedly shows Pope Francis with Buddhist monks.
Furthermore, it was noted that some commenters on the video wrote, ‘Monks are blessing the sick Pope.’
FactSeeker investigated the video as it was widely shared on social media, with many people expressing their opinions about it.
During our investigation of the video, we came across several news reports published online regarding this matter.
These news reports state that a group of Thai Buddhist monks met with Pope Francis in Vatican City during a religious mission in 2024. The meeting reportedly included religious homage and the observance of traditional rituals.
Upon examining the photos featured in the news, it was noted that the background, the monks seen in the video, and the Pope’s location all appear similar. Therefore, it can be confirmed that the video shared on social media was filmed in 2024.
Therefore, FactSeeker confirms that the video showing Pope Francis, the pontiff of the Catholic Church and head of Vatican City, embracing Buddhism was filmed during a religious service in 2024. Furthermore, the claim that ‘monks bless the sick Pope’ is entirely false.